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Sieghardt Hohenstein
"Maybe I'll find the Dark Oath bastard who killed my parents. Maybe I won't. But you can be damned sure I'll die trying." Inquisitor Sieghardt Hohenstein was a Human Fighter NPC. An Inquisitor of the Divine Inquisitorial Order and a close friend of Inquisitor Klemens Vollmacht, Sieghardt was seconded to the Imperial Army of Cothenburg to fight in Privia during the events of Faith Against Darkness. Biography Early Life Sieghardt was born to Martha Hohen and Karl Stein, two soldiers on the front line of Privia, around 1114 PL. Sieghardt would grow up in an environment of constant war, becoming known by many during this time as the "Privia's Bastard". Sieghardt's parents would be killed during a counterattack made by the Dark Oath Host in 1120 PL, and with no-one willing or able to care for him, Sieghardt was forced to make himself useful as a camp follower for the Privian frontline, vowing that when he was old enough to fight, he would avenge his parents' death. Sieghardt's resilient nature and seeming immunity to the horrors of war was noticed by Inquisitor Achenbach during a visit to the Privian front lines in 1124 PL, who offered Sieghardt a home in Cothenburg as an Initiate for the Divine Inquisitorial Order. Sieghardt accepted, on the condition that the skills he learned within the training program could later be used to kill Dark Oath soldiers. Inquisitorial Initiate Sieghardt would focus the majority of his time and effort training to become a better soldier during his time as an Initiate. His natural aptitude for warfare and his experience as a camp follower on the front lines meant that he was as strong and as skilled as many of the students older than him, and he would regular spar with students many years older than him, often winning. It was during this time that Sieghardt would develop an affinity for heavy armour and weaponry. It was also during this time that Sieghardt would meet, and often be bested by, Klemens Vollmacht. Vollmacht would exploit his advantage in dexterity and speed against Sieghardt, and would often humiliate Sieghardt in front of other students to prove his superiority. It was during this time that Sieghardt would begin to violently detest Vollmacht. Similarly, the rivalry between the two began to engender a hostile relationship between their Inquisitorial sponsors, with Achenbach's desire for a young prodigy to complete Inquisitorial training several years early dashed by Inquisitor Johanna Loche's perfectionist protégé. However, Loche's intervention that made Vollmacht understand that he would need Sieghardt as an ally was enough to prevent conflict between the two Inquisitors. Following a session where Vollmacht allowed Sieghardt to unleash his anger upon him all whilst teaching him how to be a better combatant, Sieghardt and Vollmacht became best friends throughout the remainder of their time as Inquisitorial Initiates. Vollmacht would later introduce Sieghardt to Rochelle Raiken and Livina Reiter, whom he would also form a close friendship with. In particular, Rochelle would aid Sieghardt in his academic studies necessary for him to complete training. Sieghardt would complete Inquisitorial training alongside Vollmacht, Rochelle, and Livina at the same time, achieving the highest honours. Sieghardt would be assigned to Inquisitor Achenbach, who would hone Sieghardt's skills, whilst also using Sieghardt as evidence of his own capability for selecting potential Initiates. Assignment to Inquisitor Achenbach Sieghardt would work beneath Inquisitor Achenbach for a number of years, who gave him the skills necessary to conduct both investigatory work and strike tactics. Alongside his fellow Initiate, and future Inquisitor, Jannik Grubenstein, Sieghardt would develop an almost fanatic reverence for sacred violence. Unlike Achenbach or Grubenstein, however, Sieghardt would not develop an authoritarian leadership style, instead opting for the inspirational leadership style he had seen his fellow Initiates adopt, and the style he had been taught had been used by his parents before their death. Sieghardt's familiarity with warfare and popularity with acolytes and soldiers alike signaled to Achenbach that Sieghardt would most efficiently be used as an asset on the front lines. Sieghardt parted with Achenbach and Grubenstein amicably, setting off for Privia to lead his own Inquisition military unit, on secondment to the Imperial Army. Before leaving, Achenbach gifted Sieghardt with a silver-inlaid suit of Gothic plate armour, which he would continue to wear throughout his career. The Front Lines Sieghardt would become naturally integrated in military matters such that he was both informed of and allowed to assume operational command of contingents of the Imperial Army. Sieghardt would utilise a combination of military and Inquisition personnel to assist the elite Ashcloak unit during the events of The Front Lines. Faith Against Darkness Sieghardt was mentioned favourably several times by both Klemens Vollmacht and Klaus Katzmann during Faith Against Darkness. As of 1143 PL, he was known to be continuing Inquisition operations against the Dark Oath Host in Privia. Description Appearance As a soldier on the front line, Sieghardt would mostly be seen wearing his silver-inlaid Gothic Plate, with his weapon at his side at all times. The armour was emblazoned with images of the Imperial Eagle, with dyed feathers protruding from the helmet. Enean scripture was both inlaid into the armour and printed upon parchment that hung from it. When Sieghardt was not wearing his armour, his most striking feature was the network of scars running across his arms and hands. His jet-black hair was cropped short, much like the soldiers he fought alongside. Sieghardt was tall and had heavy musculature. Personality Sieghardt was a confident and stoic individual who conveyed his emotions bluntly and honestly. He was genial yet commanding in the face of his soldiers and acolytes and genuinely seemed to care about their wellbeing. To his friend and allies, he was reliable and quick to come to their defense, and wasn't afraid of violence. Sieghardt would often pretend to play the part of a brutish, obedient soldier in the face of authority figures, that often allowed him to avoid attention or assuage the ego of his superiors. His ultimate goal was to find and kill the Dark Oath soldiers responsible for the murder of his parents. Though his time as a camp follower made him an excellent planner and logistician, Sieghardt was brutal and reckless in battle, and he enjoyed combat and killing his enemies. Compared to his Inquisitorial allies, who fought out of duty, Sieghardt genuinely seemed to take pleasure from violently confronting opponents. His fighting style often left his defeated foes unrecognisable, and even when it was necessary to recover his opponents alive, he was not above dismembering them during capture. Relationships Klemens Vollmacht Though originally sworn enemies, Sieghardt and Vollmacht eventually found mutual understanding in their time as Initiates and became close friends. During a training exercise designed to test the Initiates' resilience to drowning, Sieghardt would save Vollmacht's life when he began to drown. Such an action would earn him the nickname of "Klemens' Boyfriend" by Initiates, though none would dare to say it to his face. Despite viewing Vollmacht as a radical whose ideals were yet unproven, Sieghardt respected Vollmacht's leadership style and accomplishments as an Inquisitor, knowing that his investigative capability far outweighed his own. He was impressed by Vollmacht's ability to categorise and memorise information at an incredulous pace. Vollmacht and Sieghardt would remain close friends indefinitely, though they would lose contact with each other following Sieghardt's assignment to Privia. Both would speak of each other with respect and admiration when asked of what they thought of the other. Rochelle Raiken Rochelle was introduced to Sieghardt as a mutual contact through Vollmacht, and he immediately respected her vast intellect, even if her theories and methodologies were often lost on him. Rochelle and Sieghardt would often play Dragonchess with each other, and they were typically close matches. Though Sieghardt was an excellent fighter, his skills in academia were lacking, and it was thanks to Rochelle that he was able to complete his Inquisitorial exams both early and to the highest standard possible. In return, Sieghardt would advise Rochelle on armour usage and military logistics. The armour Rochelle wears presently with proficiency is as a result of Sieghardt's guidance, and the survey team she formed for her expeditions in 1142 and 1143 PL were formed and outfitted utilising some of the advice offered by Sieghardt. Livina Reiter Livina was a mutual contact that was introduced to Sieghardt by Rochelle. Though the two were the most distant out of their friendship group, they worked with each other on a number of missions and maintained a strong professional respect and trust of each other due to their mutual network. Livina was responsible for teaching Sieghardt how to read, write, and speak Elven. Inquisitor Achenbach Sieghardt and Achenbach did not view each other in the traditional mentor-student relationship that was typical of other Inquisitors and their Initiate, though this did not mean they were not close. Instead, Sieghardt would view Achenbach as a cross between a patron and military superior, giving him the skills and training necessary to pursue his final goal of vengeance. Achenbach viewed Sieghardt as a valuable asset that could be weaponised both for many goals - both advancing his own station, and for defeating the enemies of the Inqusition and Enea. Achenbach would utilise Sieghardt's ultimate aim of revenge as a means of motivation, whilst Sieghardt would see the Inquisitor's orders carried out at any cost, as a means of attaining that next level of skill. Ultimately, this transaction would prove profitable for both of them in pursuing their goals, and it is likely that the two would work together once more with that same fervour if their goals were aligned. Jannik Grubenstein Sieghardt viewed Grubenstein as a valued battle-brother and fought alongside him without hesitation. Though he disagreed with Grubenstein's disregard for his acolytes' wellbeing beyond their loyalty, Sieghardt fundamentally felt that Grubenstein was a trustworthy and valuable ally, whom he considered a close friend. Character Information Notable Items * Heavy Silver Greatsword - Sieghardt wielded an enormous zweihänder inlaid with magically-treated silver. The weapon's additional mass is an archaic holdover from when the weapon was not magical, where after extended combat, Sieghardt was forced to rely on the weapon's crushing weight when the blade's edges would be dulled from continual cuts. * Inlaid Gothic Plate - The armour worn by Sieghardt was made especially for him as a parting gift from Achenbach before he left for Privia. The silver in the armour adds no protection, but allows for Sieghardt to engage with ghosts, lycanthropes, and fiends alike without his weapon, using the silver inlaid in the gauntlets and boots to crack and crush Dark Oath skulls, regardless of the foe he faces. Abilities Feats * Great Weapon Master - Sieghardt trained extensively with heavy weaponry from a young age. His continual use of them on a daily basis on both Inquisition business and military engagement has left him an unparalleled master of their use. *'Mage Slayer' - Sieghardt intuitively understood that magic users were the most effective force multipliers for any force, regardless of its competency or composition. As such, he trained extensively to see them neutralised effectively. *'Resilient (Dexterity)' - Thanks to his training alongside Klemens Vollmacht at a young age, Sieghardt was able to move at a surprising speed to evade danger, even when fully armoured. Class Abilities * Fighting Style: Great Weapon Fighting * Second Wind * Fighting Spirit * Extra Attack * Disciplined Manner * Indomitable Category:Characters Category:Non-Player Characters Category:Living Characters Category:Inquisition Members